How we gave up the TV Licence - Hassle Free

  • Hey Guest, Early bird pricing on the Summer Moot (29th July - 10th August) available until April 6th, we'd love you to come. PLEASE CLICK HERE to early bird price and get more information.

British Red

M.A.B (Mad About Bushcraft)
Dec 30, 2005
26,715
1,962
Mercia
Part of homesteading for us is using our money wisely because we don't have much actual income to pay external expenses

About 5 years ago, we gave up the Television Licence because it just wasn't value for us.

Since then we've saved over £1,000, got access to fantastic TV for much less money.

We've also done it legally, without any nasty letters or enforcement visits! In this week's video we explain how we
did it.

 

demented dale

Full Member
Dec 16, 2021
747
363
57
hell
Part of homesteading for us is using our money wisely because we don't have much actual income to pay external expenses

About 5 years ago, we gave up the Television Licence because it just wasn't value for us.

Since then we've saved over £1,000, got access to fantastic TV for much less money.

We've also done it legally, without any nasty letters or enforcement visits! In this week's video we explain how we
did it.

My friend demanded that they cease and desist from sending their signal to her aerial. She threatened them with court action. Best to say they show that many repeats that you'll be using last years licence. I am nearly 57 and I dont even know what tv licence looks like x ps bushcraft series with Ray mears was pretty decent though
 

FerlasDave

Full Member
Jun 18, 2008
1,783
549
Off the beaten track
We use Amazon prime a lot, mostly because packages can be sent easily and we have subscriptions to things like toilet roll and pet food. But I really enjoy the discovery plus add on. Lots of outdoor and nature/wildlife shows on there, and it’s cheaper than some other services like paramount. Well worth a look if you’ve not seen it yet!
 
  • Like
Reactions: British Red

demographic

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Apr 15, 2005
4,694
711
-------------
We've been legally licence free for a few years now.
Watch Netflix and Amazon plus Ch4 (mostly for their very good news) but no live programmes.
Also no BBC TV (which I have to say is no great loss, the news just isn't news and the only part I miss is early showings of Attenborough's stuff). ITV was never a loss.
 

British Red

M.A.B (Mad About Bushcraft)
Dec 30, 2005
26,715
1,962
Mercia
How do you save over £1000 by not paying a £159 a year licence for 5 years? Is that the "new maths" we hear about?
We gave up the licence and stopped paying full price for streaming services (did you watch the video, we talked a lot about this :rolleyes:)?

More than two thirds of the UK have streaming AND a TV licence and many have SKY as well. At one point SKY were charging an elderly relative over £70 a month because they didn't know to demand a better deal (when we cancelled for them they offered to reduce it by more than half)

The whole point of this video is not to just trundle along paying for things that you aren't getting value from
 

Woody girl

Full Member
Mar 31, 2018
4,550
3,480
65
Exmoor
I havnt had a working TV for many years, even after cancelling, I still got letters threatening me that I was breaking the law despite the fact that the two years wasn't up.
I refuse to phone them every few years to tell them I don't need a licence, as I agreed on the phone that I would let them know if I needed another licence. As far as I'm concerned, it was a verbal agreement, it is still legaly binding.
I still don't have a working TV, don't watch it at all..obviously, so I don't need a licence.
End of matter.!

I've been threatened with visits, non have materialised , and if I did get the knock, I'd just say no thank you, and close the door.
After all, they are door salesmen, and have no right of entry to check, even if you invite them in to do so. So don't do that.
Eventually they stopped sending letters as I just popped them back in the post with return to sender written on the front.
Eventualy I also wrote, I do not wish to receive threatening letters from this person, on it in big red marker.
The letters stopped. :)
 

slowworm

Full Member
May 8, 2008
2,011
971
Devon
When I had a property with no TV and no internet (so no chance of live BBC) I could never stop the letters which I think crossed the line into unacceptable threatening behaviour.

Even though we have a licence now we hardly watch any BBC stuff so could easily live without it if things get tight.
 
  • Like
Reactions: British Red

Jared

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Sep 8, 2005
3,405
644
50
Wales
BlackBeltBarrister has a whole series of videos about the BBC License fee, and in particular how badily the wording is on the TV Licensing website and letters.

Like you can watch some stuff on iPlayer without a license fee, namely anything from S4C.
 

SaraR

Full Member
Mar 25, 2017
1,638
1,187
Ceredigion
I havnt had a working TV for many years, even after cancelling, I still got letters threatening me that I was breaking the law despite the fact that the two years wasn't up.
I refuse to phone them every few years to tell them I don't need a licence, as I agreed on the phone that I would let them know if I needed another licence. As far as I'm concerned, it was a verbal agreement, it is still legaly binding.
I still don't have a working TV, don't watch it at all..obviously, so I don't need a licence.
End of matter.!

I've been threatened with visits, non have materialised , and if I did get the knock, I'd just say no thank you, and close the door.
After all, they are door salesmen, and have no right of entry to check, even if you invite them in to do so. So don't do that.
Eventually they stopped sending letters as I just popped them back in the post with return to sender written on the front.
Eventualy I also wrote, I do not wish to receive threatening letters from this person, on it in big red marker.
The letters stopped. :)
Yeah, I found the tone really annoying too. I don’t appreciate getting threats when I’m not doing anything wrong. They also had freepost everything if you wanted to sign up, but nothing to say that you didn’t have a TV. Now you can do it online, but they’ll still waste money sending you a letter every 6 months, because clearly they don’t believe you.
 

BCUK Shop

We have a a number of knives, T-Shirts and other items for sale.

SHOP HERE